1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the technical field of data processing, and more particularly to an enhanced computer implemented credit application analysis and decision routing system.
2. Background Information
Before the invention of the subject matter of the above-referenced related co-pending application, obtaining credit and financing of a major consumer purchase had been done manually. Typically, an applicant filled out a credit (loan) application by hand. The process is fully described in the co-pending application, and therefore will not be repeated here.
Certain aspects of the prior loan application process had been automated to a limited extent, for example, according to Jones et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,462) and Dykstra et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,052). However, these disclosed systems have somewhat limited functionality in processing loan applications.
The related co-pending application describes a comprehensive automation of the whole credit application process to provide flexibility and functionality in the management of the credit application process. Additional functionality, improvements to the system functionality described in the co-pending application, and aspects of the invention previously fully disclosed but for which additional protection is desired, are therefore the subject of this application.